We were at FranTech last week and got really inspired by the amount of people wanting to learn more about using technology to drive their businesses forward. FranTech is designed to help marketing, communications and information technology franchise professionals navigate the maze of digital marketing and technology solutions available to franchises today.

Regardless of your level of expertise in digital marketing, promoting your business online is something you can do and succeed at, with the right tools and the right mindset.

I gathered the following knowledge from one of the sessions, which was about engaging the next generation of consumers for your brand. This topic caught my attention because, in addition to using digital marketing to drive your business today, it’s about paving the way for the next generation to use your products or services. In a way, your brand and the next generation will grow together. And that’s poetic, but also highly effective.

Paraphrasing Mike Walsh, CEO of the innovation research lab Tomorrow and also the keynote speaker of the above-mentioned session, we must rethink the way we do business—and the way we market it—to engage a generation who has never known a world without smartphones and high-speed digital connections.

One of the things I liked best about his presentation is that with each challenge, the speaker presented a way to come around it; a potential solution, if you will. I’ll be sharing those too!

Imagine the future

Walsh said that the next generation of consumers will expect us to deliver better, faster, richer and more personalized experiences. Those who don’t are destined to the forgotten land of “unfollows”. Walsh’s idea to prevent this from happening is putting some kids in a room and asking them how they would imagine using your products or services in the future.

He goes further, throwing a “mind grenade”, as he calls these types of questions, challenging attendees to think about the one thing their kids would do differently if they took their jobs. Mind blowing, indeed.

Prepare for the future

So, what does marketing in the 21st century look like? Surely, it will have as many shapes and forms as the media available to deliver it. Furthermore, it’s about new ways of thinking about the media, according to Walsh, who said:

“Build a sustainable growth platform by combining science with storytelling, and putting customer data at the heart of your business”.

How to do this? Walsh recommends building a visual map of how your customers engage with your brand and make their decisions. Of course, no one better than your customers to get this intel from. Talk to them!

The greater challenge, Walsh’s mind grenade, is determining the percentage of your current marketing plan that will still be relevant in a year’s time.

Be flexible and open to new ideas

Last, but not least, you must have the right tools for the trade. In 21st-century marketing, success will come from managing big data in real time, according to Walsh.

Therefore, it’s all about customer experience. Gather as much data as possible and use it as ingeniously as possible to create the ultimate experience for your customers. As result, you’ll obtain their loyalty…repeat business.

Mind grenade: Find the one big data insight about your business that is so compelling that it will keep the rest of your leadership in the edge of their seats, in the best way possible, to drive business growth.

Until next time, I’ll leave you with your thoughts. See you along the journey!